Kat Holland is a singer/songwriter based out of Charlotte, NC. She just released her debut single, “The One”, from her forthcoming EP, Retrovision, due out March 2019. 

Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.

Kat Holland – lead singer

Claudia Mils

For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to Kat Holland? How long has the band been around?

I was not a part of any other bands prior to Kat Holland. Before “Kat Holland” I was “Katana”. Katana was a name that I came up with a few years ago that combines my first name and middle name “Kathryn Anastasia”. After things started to get more serious, my team and I came to the decision that we needed to change it to something that had a better ring to it and that hadn’t already been used by others.  

What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?

We came up with Kat Holland because Holland is my mother’s maiden name. We liked the ring to it and that fact that it had a personal connection, so we decided to stick with it.

Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs and do you think these topics will change over time?

So far I have written all of my own music. The main theme of my single, “The One” is love. It reminisces on the beginnings of a relationship in college. I think the topics of my songs will probably always have a lot to do with love, but I also think I will throw some other subjects in there such as anxiety and the struggle of finding yourself.

What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?

Many bands and artists inspire the music that I make. I have always loved Norah Jones, and she has been a huge inspiration to my music over the years. I also love Adele, Maroon 5, Stevie Nicks, Moonchild, Dua Lipa, Camila Cabello, Maggie Rogers, John Mayer, and Ariana Grande.

Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?

I’ve been a music lover as long as I can remember, but I do remember in college seeing a band, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, who is now nationally recognized. They had so much passion in their music and their performance, and it really inspired me to pursue music, something that I considered doing for a long time.

What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, etc …

I do vocal warm ups, neck rolls, drink lots of tea, and breathing exercises. I also try to laugh and not be too serious because if I get too serious my nerves will get in the way of my focus.

What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?

I played my single at an event in Charlotte called “Creative Mornings” in front of a crowd of about 500 people. It was an amazing experience and I received a lot of amazing feedback from the crowd.

If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?

I would absolutely love to tour with Camila Cabello, I just love her energy and kindness, and I also love her music. I would also love to tour with Maggie Rogers because of similar things to Camila. I love her music and the vibe that she puts off. I think it also would have been amazing to tour with Stevie Nicks!

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Releasing my first single has been such an amazing experience and I am so grateful for all of the amazing support and feedback that I have gotten from everyone. I have a lot more to share and I am really excited to see what the rest of 2019 has to offer! Thank you to all of my fans, friends, and family for the support you have given me, it is truly what keeps me going!